Thirsty Moose to open Dover location

DOVER — Although the owners hoped for an under-the-radar opening, the Thirsty Moose Tap House opened to a robust crowd late last month.

"We scrambled the last few days getting everything ready," co-owner Brian Ward said during an interview on May 30, just two days after one of his favorite days occurred: keg day.

The other co-owner is Joe Kelley, who runs the Thirsty Moose location in downtown Portsmouth.

Their motto? "Live Free, Drink Beer."

With roughly 70 brews on tap from Bud Light to Guinness and an ever-evolving variety of craft and microbrews in between, there is no shortage of options to please the palate.

While they're still working out any kinks encountered in opening the new location - getting dozens of wall-mounted flat screen televisions to cooperate on their first run can be tricky — Ward said it's been really fun and all things will be running smoothly in no time.

They're also still brainstorming and lining up entertainment for their Dover patrons.

"We're getting everybody up and running and figuring out what we want to do to keep people coming back," he said.

Located in the Washington Street address formerly home to the Barley Pub, Crescent City Bistro, RJ's and many, many years ago, a bank, Kelley said the Dover location offers some features distinct from the Portsmouth location.

"I think we did some really cool stuff we couldn't do there," he said.

The Dover location includes vintage elements such as a marble floor from 1895 discovered under three layers of flooring. There's an open floor concept with two bars inside, one for drafts and the other an ice bar similar to the owners' other Portsmouth restaurant, Fat Belly's.

There also are tables alongside windows that open wide, offering views of Washington and Central avenues and Henry Law Park. There are electric outlets at most tables for computer cords and phone chargers.

"Personally, I love the way the place came out," Kelley said.

For details about the new Dover location, visit www.facebook.com/thirstymoosedover.